Gathering the Scattered Pieces: Laughter
by Captain MeraSparrow
Summary: Episode 2: James and Amy go in search of Jack's Laugh - but their search leads them to a realm that tests everything James knows. Nothing seems to like going to plan. Will they be able to piece witty Jack back together before he's lost forever?
1. A Whole New World

Yaaahy, new installment, new installment! Woo! Chicken is tasty!

**Disclaimer** I've always been entwined with PotC. ...But never joined.

**Chapter One:** **Dive into the Heart**

Kingdom Hearts. The words sounded so strange. They were at once sappy and girlish, and deep and noble. The armored figure shifted his weight from foot to foot and had to ask. "What is it?"

"It's a game in my world," replied the teenager nearby, eyebrows furrowing sympathetically to his confusion.

"A game...?"

"I shouldn't bother to explain it."

"I wouldn't understand if you did," he conceded with a shake of his head. There was a thoughtful pause. "Then let's go."

"Are you sure you're ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"All righty then." She held out her hand, which he reached for and squeezed gently. "We'll be back as soon as we can, Tia Dalma."

"Don' be hasty, chil'. Take ya time," her Teacher reassured her.

The girl nodded and turned back to her companion. "Let's get going." Humming to herself, she conjured a mist out of nowhere. They both closed their eyes and waited for the sensation of falling.

He felt chilled as what he assumed to be a breeze caressed him from the window. Air whistled in his ears, and the ground momentarily disappeared from beneath his feet. There was a sudden jolt and both of his knees gave out, and he lurched forward. A wave of nausea hit him when he opened his eyes again, and he had to wait for his vision to clear before he could see that, yes, they were in the girl's living room. The cat sat on the couch, unperturbed, casually drawing a paw over her ear.

"Hello, Zoë," he greeted her, extending a hand. She took one sniff at his armor and took off.

"I don't think she likes it."

"Well that makes two of us." She gave him a 'then-why-are-you-wearing-it-if-you-don't-like-it' look, which he ignored.

Smiling apologetically, she turned on the game and reached out to touch the television screen. Her hand went through. And so, they climbed into the portal, and hopefully into the world that held Jack Sparrow's Laughter.

—

Her feet touched the ground safely and she looked around, head tilted curiously and observantly to one side. She stood at the center of the Marketplace of Hollow Bastion. "Oh, this is too cool!" However, she suddenly felt then that something was wrong. "James?" She whirled around. He was nowhere in sight, and she found she was alone in the Marketplace. Oh great. She'd lost him. She jogged into town, eyes peeled for any sign of him. A house with umbrellas on its roof caught her eye, and she ducked in to ask around.

"I'm sorry, Miss, I haven't seen your friend either," the elderly wizard replied after she'd described him. "Perhaps you might find him in the Bailey."

"All right, I'll check there. Thanks."

"Good luck, young lady. Come and see me if you find him—I'll have something for you."

"Oh. Okay." She stepped out of the magician's house, thinking _Grreeeaaatt... finding James has become a Sidequest,_ as she hurried around a bend to a steep, lengthy stone stairway. She took them on all fours, as was a habit of hers, so as she could both get to the top faster and save her energy.

With few steps left to the top, the sounds of a struggle reached her ears. Someone cried out with effort and a sword could be heard swinging through the air. It landed a hit. "Graah! Come on! Who wants some?" She poked her head over the wall to see James. Surrounded by small, black, adorably cute shadow creatures. "Form an orderly line and I'll have you all one by one—and no breaking rum bottles over my head this time!" He swung his sword in a wide arc, taking out several Shadows in its path, which dissolved into darkness and oblivion, only to be replaced by more. His other sword lay uselessly out of reach, likely because he had been taken by surprise.

"James!" She dashed out, grabbed the blade, and battled her way to him. The Shadows came in throngs. Even Soldiers and NeoShadows, other similar monsters, were joining the brawl. The humans stood back to back as the Heartless advanced. "I'm sorry. I should have told you about this stuff before we came. I just expected things to start out all peaceful."

"Warn me next time, then. But for now, how do we beat them all?"

"I'm not sure. It's like they just won't stop coming. And our weapons don't seem to be doing as much damage as I'd like."

"And also, why is that _you're _the only one who got a new outfit while I'm stuck with this blasted armour?"

"What?" Everything stopped. Even the Heartless had ceased their attacks to stare at her. She looked down at herself. "Oh sweet! I got Sora's outfit! Well, forget this." She tossed the sword to James.

"Wot?"

She didn't bother explaining. Instead, she held out a gloved hand, palm down, eyes closed in concentration. In a flash of light, an obnoxiously large and decorated key appeared in her hand. "I'm kinda glad I had this equipped before we got here," she grinned, swinging the huge Keyblade in a lethal arc and taking out many. The battle raged on, and finally, as the ever-above-the-horizon sun peaked at its zenith, marking what would have been midnight in this world, the Heartless stopped coming. "Whew, that took forever."

"Yes." He leaned against a wall wearily, panting for breath.

"You okay?"

He regained his winds enough to answer, "I feel drained."

"Did they land a lot of hits?" He nodded, still at a loss for breath. She reached thoughtfully into one of the many pockets, pulling out a small glass jar, and tossed it to him. "Drink this."

"What...?"

"It's a potion. Not the magical kind—it's just called that. It'll get your health points back up."

"Health points?"

"This game is built on a complex point system. For instance, your health and energy are measured in a certain number of points. Every time you take a hit, those points go down. And when they reach zero..."

"I understand. And this regains lost points?"

She shrugged. "Forty of them anyway. We can regain the rest when we stop off at a savepoint to record our progress."

"Here's an idea: how about I just stop asking?"

"Prolly a good idea."

He nodded, tipping his head back and emptying the jar of its contents. The glass dropped from his hand and shattered against the ground as he grimaced. "That is the most _bitter_ thing I have ever tasted!"

"I didn't really expect it to have a taste. Come on, there are fountains everywhere. You can wash the taste out there." She pointed the trusty Ultima Weapon at the shattered glass and it repaired itself. She looked up with a grin, only to drop it to find he had disappeared once again from her side. "James?" She could hear him gargling and muttering to himself about 'horrid flavours' below. She sighed and giggled, descending the stairs once more.

"Where to now?" he asked as he turned to face her, wiping his mouth on his fist.

"We should check in with Merlin."

"Merlin? The legendary wizard consort of King Arthur?"

"The very same. Except not. He's a more fictionalized version of the character in this game. Finding you had become a Sidequest, and if I go and see him we'll get some item or other that will help us out."

"I won't ask."

"Good. Now come on, it's just around the corner." She led the way and soon they had reached the house, nestled in a corner between other buildings in the maze that was the town.

"There are parasols on the roof."

"It's a theme from the original movie that was adapted into this part of the game."

"This part — so there are others?"

"Well, the game is like a medley of classic movies and a famous series of games."

"I...all right."

She rolled her eyes in good humor. "Come on," and she led him inside.

"Ah. Good. You both have been reunited. Here, take this." The wizard handed her an old, long, battered dark red scarf.

Her eyes revealed an ever calculating mind as she observed it, then whirled around to face James—who was warily eyeing the swirling, glowing savepoint in the corner—crying, "It's perfect!"

"Whoa!" He hadn't been expecting her to wrap the item round his neck and pull him down to her level.

"In retrospect, I suppose I could have asked you to crouch for me, but it would have killed the mood!"

"And you never think before you act," he growled crossly as she wrapped the scarf twice around his neck and tied it in a knot. The lengthy remainder hung one end in front of his shoulder, one end behind.

"Like when we first met? You agreed to help us, and I hugged you right out of the blue." This got a smile out of him.

"That wasn't the only thing you did out of the blue that day," he replied wryly.

She grinned and smoothed the scarf over his armor, a hand gently on his arm, once again taking in the worn leather. "You know, you would have taken a lot more damage if it weren't for this," she murmured.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

She shrugged, motioning for him to stand again. "It looks...complete. Quick, strike a pose!" With a _shhinng_, he had drawn both his swords and leaned down into a fighting stance, scarf-ends waving as he did. "Nice. You almost look like a Final Fantasy character."

"Er...is that good?"

She folded her hands behind her head. "Well...you blend in. That oughta preserve world order for just a little while longer, hey? Now, in order to get to the place in the claws, we'll need a ship." James perked up at the word. "That swirly thing you look like you want nothing to do with? That's the dock. Don't look so apprehensive! You can also regain all of your points by standing in it. But I suppose that since I forgot to warn you about this realm before, then I should probably do it now. You see, characters in the game have the ability to use elemental magic." His eyes suddenly found hers from where they had been roving about circular room. _That_ got his attention. "Anything sounding like 'Blizzard' is ice related, Fire for fire, Air for Air, and Cure for healing . Self explanatory. Now, like with health, we only have a limited amount of magic. Every time you cast a spell, the points that record your magic will go down. In my case, Curaga will use up all of my magic, and it will take thirty seconds for those points to regenerate."

"Thirty seconds is a lot of time in a battle."

"Don't I know it. Now for an example." She looked around for a reasonable target. "Freeze!" she pointed her Keyblade at the large, expensive-looking computer taking up half the wall. In a blast of cold air, it had frozen in great blocks of ice. The other characters that had until then been aimlessly walking about the room rushed over to berate her. "Fine fine," she grumbled, and set flames to the ice. Somehow, the computer was undamaged. James was beginning to wonder if he'd ever understand what was going on. "D'you want to try?" He nodded eagerly. "Take our your weapons and point them at your target." He obeyed. "Now, think about freezing it and say 'Blizzard.'" He pursed his lips. "Or 'Freeze' if you would prefer that. I know some of this stuff sounds silly."

He pointed the blades at the crackling fire on the hearth, their tips touching slightly. "Freeze," the former-Commodore growled. In an explosion of heat and light, Blizzagun fired from his swords with enough force that he was sent reeling backwards, and even the girl was pushed off her feet. They both stood and stared—Amy filled with awe, James shaken and surprised—and saw that the laws of physics had been defied: the flames themselves had frozen solid in sharp, dagger-like icicles, and an abundant coating of frost on the stone wall surrounded the site. "Well," was all he could manage in comment.

At the risk of being scolded by the game's characters again, Ames summoned Ultima once more, and took up a certain stance. "Fire!" Flames swirled around her, and the ice disappeared. The flames continued to crackle in the fireplace like nothing had happened.

"How were you not burned yourself?" James exclaimed. "Those flames—they surrounded you and yet you are unharmed!"

She nodded. "This game prevents players—that's us—from getting hurt unless damaged by an enemy." Their eyes met. "This is an awful lot to take in, isn't it?"

He growled to himself. "I'd never thought there could be such a thing as 'Realm-sickness', but it would appear that I have contracted it."

She patted him on the shoulder. "I know how you feel. Believe me. As soon as we find Jack's laugh, we can be out of here. Back at the bayou, yeah?"

"Aye."

"With the trees and the water and the stillness."

"And Teacher," he added onto the list.

Her expressive eyes suddenly grew guarded, some unknown emotion smouldering within. Concern filled James when he noticed this. "Right. And Teacher. And the sooner we find Jack, the sooner we can get back. So let's embark." They both looked toward the swirling green light that was the gateway to their ship. They stepped into it, and with a flash of light and a momentary floating sensation, they had arrived on the ship.

* * *

There was a lot of reconstruction in this chapter. Not so much plot-wise, that happens in the next installment, but rather I tried to explain the game without explaining the game. Last time I just wrote it like it happened in-game, and that ended up being not only confusing for those who were not familiar with the game, but also long and rather unrelated to the plot.

Hope you enjoyed! Was it an improvement? Or, if this is your first time through this story, was it followable?

Please Review!


	2. Sombreity

Hello again! Sorry this is a little late. I am house-sitting for someone else and so have very limited internet acess. Enjoy!

**Chapter Two: Sombreity **

They stepped into the swirling green portal, and with a flash of light and a momentary floating sensation, they had arrived on the ship.

Or had they?

"This doesn't look like a ship..." He looked around apprehensively. All these buttons and flashing lights—where were the sails? And the masts? And the anchor? A sudden wave of dizziness washed over him and he swayed where he stood.

"James?" she looked at him concernedly. "Are you all right?"

"It's...too much," he mumbled, a hand going to his head, frustrated with himself for this weakness. He had faced the undead and the fantastic how many times now? And yet he could not take a child's fantasy come alive.

"Easy...easy..." She led him to one of the seats. "Deep breath. Sit back, relax... Close your eyes and imagine you're back in the Caribbean. Pretend all the beeps and buzzing and other noises are the calls of birds and dolphins and creaking of rope and wood, and the breaking of waves on the hull. Pretend the movement you feel is the pitch and roll of a magnificent ship," she soothed softly. "That's right. Just take it easy." Leaving him to his mental imagery, she proceeded to start up the trusty Highwind, and they were off, traveling to the next world, for the Kingdom Hearts Realm is a composite of worlds.

Stars whirled past them in a blur. After perhaps a few days — although it would only have been seconds in the "real" world — and several lengthy explanations, something became visible off the starboard bow. The shadowy world loomed closer and closer. "This place's version of your world. Don't get your hopes up, cuz it's pretty far off the mark." His hopeful expression was replaced with disappointment. "Aw, come on now. We'll have landed in a few minutes. At least there'll be the open sea again."

"There is that," he nodded.

They appeared in a place whose mirror image held many memories for Ellie—some good, some bad, and some just plain weird. The Rampart at Fort Charles. Ames jumped over a couple of cannon and took the steps two at a time until she stood beneath the bell and arch, next to which James had proposed to Elizabeth, before which she had broken his heart and denied his love, and under which he had watched her declare her love for another man. None of this went through the girl's mind, however. The moon, ever full and bright, bathed the Harbor and town in light. They were in Port Royal. Black water lapped at the shore. "Down there — that's the _Black Pearl._" James joined her and she turned toward him. "Oh. Well lookit you! Yer all dressed like a Commodore again!"

"And after all the trouble of growing back my beard," he complained good-naturedly. A pacing figure dressed in a yellow gown caught his eye. "Elizabeth?" Suddenly forgetting himself, he strode quickly over, and grasped her arm to get her attention. She stared blankly into his face and uttered the repetitive and robotic lines the game had supplied her with. His eyebrows came together, his emerald eyes frantically searching hers for some trace of the person he knew.

A hand lightly touched his shoulder and he released the wench, who went right back to her pacing like nothing had happened. "She's not real. I told you that, remember?"

"I know. I...forgot myself for a moment is all." He turned to face the lass, blinking away his crushed hopes.

She looked him in the eye. "James, how come you never got gooey like that over her when we were at her house last time I was here?" He suddenly broke eye contact, looking distractedly out over the ocean. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Amy, there is a lot that will require explanations, and I'm not sure I can give them to you. One day I will explain, that is a promise - but that day cannot be today, do you understand?"

Her eyes widened. "What? Why not now?"

"Because there are details within the tale that would do better to wait, and what good is a tale without its details were I to tell it?"

She was silent, considering. "Are there a lot of spoilers?"

The wheels in his mind spun furiously and he jumped on the opportunity. "If I tell you what's going on, there will be more 'spoilers' than you can count," he said generously.

"Oh snap! And now I won't be able to wait for the movies to come out! Aaahh!" she clutched her head humorously.

He sighed with forced reluctance. "Fine. If you want me to tell you so badly—."

"Nooooo. No you don't! I won't let you tell me until the third movie has come out!" She groaned, wants disagreeing with her decision. "It's over a year and a half!" she wailed comically, throwing back her head. His eyes glowed with triumph. She recovered immediately. "Now c'mon. We've gotta find Jack!"

"Do you remember that rock formation in the claws?" he asked, eager to get off the subject and hoping that her short attention span would not allow her to remember the promise.

"Yes. We need to get to the _Black Pearl_. She's docked in the harbor right now." She led the way down the steps from the fort to the ground, and James followed, pausing only once at the top of the stairs to glance back at the pacing figure.

As soon as their feet hit the ground, Heartless appeared. "Ah, back to just one sword," he sighed, drawing his weapon.

"And no armor, so every hit they land will give more damage."

"We'll see about that," he grinned, darting into battle with his in-game speed and releasing Blizzagun, using the force of the powerful spell to vault himself out of the way before any Heartless could land a hit and freezing all those in the vicinity. She blinked—he was being really creative with his moves! Within moments, the Heartless stopped coming. "How you doing?"

"Fine, now that I understand how this all works."

"Good. Now come on, let's embark."

"Right." They hurried to the docks and aboard the ominous black ship. Immediately, even with no crew in sight, the _Pearl_ pushed off from its berth and set sail. The land soon disappeared over the horizon as the not-_Pearl_ sailed into the night.

"Up there," she pointed to a figure up on the quarterdeck.

"Is that—?"

"No. Hang in there, James. We're on our way." She flashed a comforting smile at him before turning and bounding up the steps to the helm. "'Ello Cap'n."

The familiar face turned to meet her gaze. "'Ello luv. Breezy, eh?" She looked at the map he unrolled to show her, a small knife marking their current location. She removed it and stuck it in a picture of a stone skull. "Isla de Muerta it is." The ship lurched into motion, sails flapping loudly in the wind. She looked up at the sky and sighed as the wind blew her hair out of her face.

She descended the steps, overly-large-yet-perfectly-fitting shoes clunking softly on the boards, and leaned on the bulwarks next to James, where they both stared in silence at the black waves lapping at the hull.

—

"I don't know how long it will take for us to get there. Only a couple seconds in my world, but it could be _days_ inside the game before we get there," Ames explained later that night as she leaned against the chart table in the familiar captain's cabin.

"Days?" The night in this world was everlasting, the moon always up and always full.

"Or the equivalent of. You know what I mean. Anyway, I'm gonna tell you right now that there will be an ambush upon our arrival. There always is."

"Heartless?"

"Usually. We may have to deal with some Nobodys — they're a different kind of monster, but that's not important and I won't explain further, since you're never gonna need this information anyway."

"All right."

The sound of approaching bootsteps reached their ears, and they looked up as not-Jack swaggered through the door. He made a face at the Commodore, saying, "Don't remember inviting you," in his gruff, un-Jack-like voice. The voice actor had been a terrible fit.

"He's gone and turned pirate, Captain Sparrow. He's with me."

The pirate considered her, leaning back on one leg, a hand going to rest on the hilt of his cutlass. "Well he had better not pull any funny business, unless he wants to become a sieve."

—

As it was, only what felt like a few hours passed before the Isle of the Dead came into view. "Look, look, there it is!" The background music jumped into its fight sequence. "Ahh, we've got company." Her Keyblade materialized in her hand.

James drew his own weapon. "Let's go." They leapt into action, James seeming to jump a second time off the air to avoid a hit, discovering that their enemies were indeed Nobodys, juggling cards and dice. Within moments, however, the fighting was done. "Are we good?" He nodded, still holding his sword. "All right. Let's go find Jack." The not-_Pearl_ anchored at the island.

"Good," he murmured once he had handed her down to the ground. "Are we ready to go and look for Sparrow's laugh?"

She sighed. "There is no loooking. You see that big rock right there? That's the one I saw in Teacher's claws."

"Then...now what?"

She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I don't see any signs of life."

"Maybe it's there," he soothed. "Perhaps we just need to look." Her eyes were hollow, her expression placid, as she was lost to the depths of her thoughts. She was silent. James examined her. Was she afraid? Afraid of what they might find? Or what they mightn't find?

"It...it couldn't hurt to look around, I guess," she managed after a while, suddenly wondering what was wrong with her. Norrington nodded his understanding, placing a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "I want to go alone," she said suddenly. "Stay here. 'Do us all a favor—I know it's difficult for you—but please, stay here, and try not to do anything–stupid.'" He blinked. What a time to be quoting Jack.

"I'll be right here," he assured her, and she turned and strode toward the stone. She reached out and touched its rough, porous surface as if to steady herself, and slowly, slowly began to look around, a feeling of dread creeping sluggishly up her spine with each step. She circled the rock on the side that had land, swam on the side that didn't, unleashed several attack and exhausted her magic trying to see if, perhaps, he was stuck _inside_. Frustrated, exhausted, and beginning to panic, she finally slid to the ground, her back against the accursed formation, tears streaming stubbornly down her cheeks.

James dared to ignore the order to stay put and stepped forward. She found herself in his embrace—his wonderful, steady, comforting, healing embrace—and her resolve all but disappeared. He softly shushed her sobs, petting her hair. His eyes were not as soothing. They smouldered with frustration and apprehension. "He's not here," she whispered softly.

Then where was he?

* * *

And so another chapter! Yay! Ya know I demand payment! Undead monkeys will not do! A review is my price!


	3. Under the Sea

**Disclaimer****: Authoress: -sniffsniff- -sniffsniff- Ooh... a franchise!  
Jerry Bruckheimer: -shoots- ...My franchise.**

**Chapter Three: Where is it? Where is the thump-thump?**

"Are you certain?" he demanded.

"I've checked around that rock in every way possible," she replied, frustration agitating her voice. "And I can't feel him here. And there's this nagging voice in the back of my mind—whom I have named Nagcules—that says we're barking up the wrong tree."

"Woof," her companion replied. She glanced up at him, a watery grin on her face. "Do you think that we are in the wrong Realm altogether?"

"I don't know. We should get back to the Gummi Ship and _then_ we'll see."

"Right. We need to get away from this place." She looked up at him, eyebrows raised quizzically. "I don't like it. It feels undeniably _wrong _here. The sea is dead. The winds are different. And the night does not give way to dawn."

"I know. I understand. Let's get outta here. The 'dock' is right there." Moments later, they were back aboard the _Highwind_, drifting lazily in space. Hours passed before the girl had calmed enough to open her heart and mind, reaching out for Jack's presence. She cast her awareness as far as she thought she could. Through the crushing disappointment she still felt and the growing loss of hope as more time passed, a sudden bubbly sensation tickled her insides. Her breast and stomach filled with a tingling, excited, wonderful feeling which spread throughout the entirety of her being. Gone was her present sadness. Restored were her hope and spirit. A giggle escaped her lips, which had formed the curve of a delighted smile. Norrington, once again in armour, rose and approached her. She turned to him, a hand over her heart. "He's here!"

A hearty laugh filled the ship, and he lifted her up and swung her in an excited arc, crying, "That's wonderful!" more in joy of seeing her happy again. "And how shall we find my brother?"

She twitched, never having heard her dearest refer to his adoptive sibling in that manner, then answered, equally excited, "There's bound to be another rock in this Realm looks the same!"

"Any idea where it is?" he asked more calmly, regaining his composure and setting her down.

She put a hand to her chin in thought. "Well, we should prob'ly check places that have a lot of rocks and such first. And places by or in the sea might help."

"Are there any worlds that have both qualities?"

"There is one," she murmured, taking her seat and adjusting their course. "To Atlantica we go!"

"What's in Atlantica?"

"SQUIRRELS!" He crossed his arms, leaning against the control panel, eyebrow raised. "Okay, maybe not squirrels, but it's a nice little world, and no Heartless or Nobodys to speak of!"

"Well that's good."

The skip kicked it into full gear. "I should probably tell you now, so that we don't panic later, that this world is almost entirely underwater. We _will_ be able to breathe, so don't worry."

—

A much shorter ride later, the world came into view. "We're here." She maneuvered the ship nearer to land, but a powerful force pushed them violently away, an invisible barrier glowing momentarily green upon their impact.

"What happened? Why can we not land?" James demanded, picking himself up where he'd been thrown to the floor.

"The gateway has been closed. Something doesn't want us to get in there. We're definitely in the right place."

"Well how do we open this gate?"

"We have to fight our way through the route, shooting down opposing ships that will be attacking us." His eyes gleamed at that. "Want me to teach you how to use the guns?" He nodded, and a couple of explanations later, she cried, "Strap in and **hold on!**" as she pressed the controls forward and they took off.

"Whoa! You could at least wait for me to obey your orders!" Poor James.

They dove into the random doorway floating in the middle of nowhere. Islands floated by, all seeming to hang in midair. Water was everywhere, in bright blue ponds and waterfalls, and everything was lit now as if by the sun. Almost instantly alerts started flashing, beeping, and buzzing. Ames expertly maneuvered the controls to meet and fire down opposing Gummi Ships that were trying to attack. Her thumbs almost never left the triggers, and even James was managing to enjoy the battle as they took down opponent after opponent. Volley upon volley of other ships came after them. The girl was unperturbed, firing effortlessly, and although the sheer number of enemies had him on high alert, Norrington followed her lead and kept up his fire. Finally, what looked like a giant keyhole of light appeared and they soared through.

"All right," the girl sighed, adrenaline sending tremors through her body. "That was fun."

"If only naval battles could be that easy," James panted.

"You okay?"

"A bit excited. There were more ships then than an Admiral would see in his entire career. Just let me catch my breath."

"Ready to land?"

"We're here already?"

"That's a yes!" she cried giddily, simultaneously pressing a button. The two disappeared in a flash of light.

—

James had to blink his eyes several times before he realized he was deep underwater. He tried to kick out with his legs toward the surface, where sunlight easily and brightly permeated the sea, only to do a barrel roll and realize that something was indeed not right. He looked down at himself to find a bare chest—but for the armor on his left shoulder and a shell necklace he did not recognize—and beyond that, what looked like a porpoise's tail, black on the back, white on the underside, and with yellow stripes down either side, a dorsal fin on his back. "A little warning never hurt, Amy," he complained.

"Well at least I let you know you can breathe under water—else that would have been ugly," her voice replied.

"Where are you?"

"I'm over here, but since I didn't warn you about being a merman, I'd better warn you that you're about to blush."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"You know how your clothes disappeared?"

"Why can you see me when I can't see you?"

"Well so did mine."

His eyes widened. "You mean you're n—?"

"No!" Several bubbled escaped from behind a rock. He clumsily began to make his way over. "But what I've been adorned with rather falls short of modesty. I'm fine with it, but I'm not so sure you will be. Don't say I didn't warn you..." He gulped. Amy slowly, carefully swam out from behind the rock. Two large, dark green scallop shells were all she had to cover herself. Her face was set in a deep blush, and her legs had merged together to form a rich, dark blue-green fish tail. "Stupid Disney..." she grumbled, crossing her arms protectively when James returned the blush.

"A mermaid, then? What does that make me?" He wiggled his porpoise-tail, trying to avert both of their thoughts.

"I...don't..._know_." She gave him a long, scrutinizing stare. "Uhh...Dolph-man?"

"Porpoise, actually, I think," he smiled. "And I don't suppose this 'Disney' likes my appearance very much either. I mean...my chest hair is missing."

Amy giggled. "Your beard is gone, too."

His hand shot to his chin. "Again?" She laughed harder, uncrossing her arms, accepting that this was the way it would have to be. He took her in more detachedly now. "You must be quite popular with the lads back in your world."

She laughed again. "Good one! Oh wait, you were serious? See, the thing is, Disney and Square-Enix have me all dolled up right now. Back home, I really don't give a darn about the way I look. And aside from that, I'm pretty much of an arse to every guy I know or have to interact with. I dunno if you noticed it, but guys from my time pretty much aren't worth my spit."

He chuckled. "And that's exactly the spirit Elizabeth had around the time that I proposed. There was but one she preferred, and all others were meaningless in those terms."

It interested her that he could talk so easily about something that had once caused him great pain. "Well...you know...I think it's kind of true...I mean...there's someone I'm kind of waiting for... And as far as I can see...he is the only one worth my affections," she said haltingly, hesitantly, revealing her most cherished of all secrets.

"So then you know a worthy lad after all."

"Well, I wouldn't say _know_, exactly... I just have occasional dreams about him, and I just kind of _know_ he's the one, you know? I mean, I haven't met him, haven't heard of him, haven't had any indication whatsoever that he even exists, but I know he's out there. And we'll find each other somehow and that will be that."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you two will find each other one day."

"I'm not so sure. Lately, I haven't been able to imagine him as clearly."

He gave her a long, contemplating look, before soothing, "Perhaps it's because you've had no one but Jack on your mind."

"You're right. And I think it should stay that way until Jack is safe. I have to focus." Somewhere deep in her heart, something hurt. Nights would be long and lonely without her Dream-boy to imagine as she very slowly fell asleep.

"Speaking of whom, it might be wise to begin our search."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Right," he repeated as he floated to a stop beside her. "Where to?"

A finger went to her chin. "To the surface, I think."

They both turned their faces upward to eye said surface, light shimmering upon them in bright rays, eloquently disturbed by ripples of water. "Okay. And once we're up there?"

"To shore." They darted to the top, breaking through the barrier between sea and air. They dove over, under, and through the waves, toward the dark line on the horizon that was land.

The steel drums of the background music began to play as the two swam off. Amy, pumping her tail to the rhythm, could not resist singing along.

"_De seaweed is always greener—in somebody else's lake.  
You dream about going up there—but dat is a big mistake.  
Just look at de world around you—right here on de ocean floor.  
Such wonderful things surround you—what more is you lookin' for?_

"_Under the sea—under the sea!  
Darlin' it's better—down where it's wetter—take it from me!  
Up on the shore they work all day—Out in the sun they slave away,  
While we devotin' full time to floatin'—Under the sea!_

"_Under the sea—under the sea!  
Since life is sweet here—we got the beat here—naturally!  
Even the sturgeon and the ray—they get the urge 'n' start to play.  
We got the spirit—you got to hear it!—Under the sea!_

"_Under the sea—Under the sea!  
Where the sardine—begin to beguine—it's music to me!  
What do they got? A lot of sand—We got a hot crustacean band!  
Each little clam here—know how to jam here—under the sea!  
Each little slug here—cuttin' a rug here—under the sea!  
Each little snail here—know how to wail here  
That's why it's hotter—under the water  
Yah, we in luck here—down in the muck here  
Under the seeeeeeeeaaaa!"_

And that's that. Next chapter is the last in this episode. Please leave a reivew!


	4. Bring Me That Horizon

Hi all! I'm sorry this is late. I'm vacationing several states away, and we have very limited internet. I have to go to another building for Wi-Fi/ a free computer, but hey, better than no internet at all! Enjoy, this is the last chapter of this installment.

**Chapter Four: Bring Me That Horizon**

James dragged himself wearily onto the sandy beach beside the lass, panting for breath. His exhaust was an illusion of a weary mind, however, for in the game this would not have tired either of them out. "The sun is warm," he mumbled softly, lying on his back, head resting on his arms.

"Why don't we just both take a break and relax? We know that Jack is here, and there's no danger in this world, so why rush, eh? Besides, it'll take absolutely no time at all in the real world, even if we just sit here for days."

"Let's keep the unit to hours, if you don't mind," he mumbled with a yawn. She nodded, laying down beside him. Hours indeed did pass, and James stirred from his dozing. The tide was coming in, lapping at their sun-dried fins and cooling the heat. The girl still dozed beside him, having sunken to the deep, barely-conscious line between slumbering and dozing, head turned away, hair spread out. It was wavy where her hair had been tied back in a tight, neat ponytail when she had been in Sora's outfit. There was a deep, dark purple flower tucked in just above her ear (how they would have gotten a flower underwater only Squeenix would know). His eyes wandered from her hair to her arm, and he leaned close to examine it. It was ragged and messy from where the demon had tried to keep his blade there while she herself had struggled to fight it off, but it had healed nicely. But still—she was only fifteen. How long before one of these was fatal? He pushed away the thought and proceeded to tickle her stomach.

She writhed and swatted him away, eyes popping open as she bolted to a sitting position. "Aww, James, I was having the nicest dream!"

"Oh? What about?"

"I—." She broke off, brows coming together. "I don't remember. But it was a good one nonetheless!"

He chuckled, rustling her hair. "I think we've relaxed enough, don't you?"

"Sure. Let's find Jack."

"Do you remember the rock structure?"

"Yes." Something just off shore caught her eye and she looked pointedly at it. "And I think I've found it, too." The waves of the tide crashed over her, and she allowed them to tug her off the beach. James followed, and the luxuriously cool water closed around them. She dove beneath the surface and swam quickly to a rather large, almost completely-submerged rock.

"By God, it's identical," James murmured beside her.

She nodded, mane billowing around her in the water, eyes never leaving the structure. "The main character of this story would sit atop the rock and sing, and her prince would come."

"Well...would it make sense, then, for you to do the same?"

She shrugged. "Worth a try..." They floated back to the surface and she sat atop the rock. The Davy Jones theme was hummed softly as a warmup before she broke into a song that was certain to draw Jack from any corner of the Earth: "_Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!" _She sang through four verses before ending in a bellow, "I love this song! 'REALLY—BAD EGGS', hahah!" She found herself laughing. Normally, she could say that line with a straight face (and even go on to recite the rest of the scene in a decent drunk impression), but now... _Good, his Laugh must be on the way._ She jumped right into another song.

"_What do we do with a drunken sailor?  
What do we do with a drunken sailor?  
What do we do with a drunken sailor  
Ear-lay in the mornin'?_

_Way hay and up she rises,  
Way hay and up she rises,  
Way hay and up she rises,  
Ear-lay in the mornin'."_

A gray dorsal fin broke through the surface, surging toward them.

"_Chuck 'im in the longboat 'til he's sober,  
Chuck 'im in the longboat 'til he's sober,  
Chuck 'im in the longboat 'til he's sober,  
Ear-lay in the mornin'._"

The fin and attached creature suddenly sped up, and James hastily scooted out of the way so as it wouldn't hit him.

"_Way hay and up she rises,  
Way hay and up she rises,  
Way hay and up she rises,  
Ear-lay in the mornin'."_

A mass was beginning to rise to the surface, and finally, a magnificent specimen of dolphin shot out of the water, flying over her in a graceful arc, water flying everywhere in sparkling droplets. It resurfaced a good distance away and frolicked through the waves back to her. He poked his head out of the water, grinning playfully at her. She tapped his nose with a finger, giving him a knowing look. "Drink up, me hearties, yo ho." The dolphin threw his head back playfully before twisting around and swimming over to inspect James.

"Hello, Jack." The magnificent manifestation nudged him in the chest, before presenting his dorsal fin to him.

Ames slid off the rock and joined them. "Eh..what's he doing?"

James contemplated him for mere moments before he suddenly grabbed on. "This!" And they were off! The dolphin pulled him around faster than he could ever have swum, faster even than he ever could have sailed. They returned, and Laughter turned to the lass, presenting its dorsal fin in much the same manner. Their fun went on for a good while. "I, ah," James paused to pull the girl up beside him so they were both on the same side of the surface. "I think we ought to check in with Teacher and ask her what we should do."

"That's a ten-four, good buddy. I'm way ahead of you." He blinked, steadying her body in the current with his own as her eyes grew blank and distant. _"Sensei?"_

"_So soon, chil'?"_

"_There is a difference in how quickly time passes. We've found Jack's Laugh. It is manifested in a dolphin. What should we do with it—should we bring him back?"_

"_Tell me first about the world it is in."_

"_Hai."_

—

Her consciousness floated back to Atlantica, where the sensation of floating and the warmth of a body hugging her own once again washing over her. She snuggled against the sturdy chest of her companion in signal that she had returned. "Ready to go back?"

"Are we bringing our new friend?"

"No. Since there's no danger here, we'll leave him, and come back for him when the time is right." A thought hit her. "Let's go find a savepoint and record everything we've made progress-wise. Lord knows it's important that we do!" They returned, and a light suddenly appeared before her. She reached out and caught it, opening her fingers to see what it was: a golden, dolphin-shaped keychain. Her eyes widened. "I got a new Keyblade!" she cried, quickly summoning her Ultima Weapon and switching out the keychains. The long, intricate, flowing, Life Stream-like shapes that made up the Ultima disappeared, and in place of those were twisting, swirling, elegant strands of water and sea and foam, red, orange, and gold laid into the detail here and there, as if a wave crashing against the shore, or a fountain shooting into the air, had been frozen. "Ooo, shinies!" she murmured in a high voice, eyes huge. It was called, predictably, 'Bring Me That Horizon.' And it had nothing to do with the game. It was hers and hers alone. "Saving now! Aaahh!"

After a few moments, she returned to James' side. "Shall we return home?"

"Right. Back to the bayou." Her hand sought his, and in a burst of purple water, they disappeared. They resurfaced in the warm water of the familiar swamp. Right off the bat, Ames knew something was off.

"Amy," James breathed beside her. "We're still water folk." With a gasp, a hand going to her mouth as she glanced down, she realized it was true. The shack was a few feet away, and the door creaked open and shut. They looked up to see Tia Dalma.

"What is wrong?" she asked softly, eyes glinting as if she already knew the answer.

"This." They both showed off their tails. "This is the way we were in the last world."

"Yes. ...You mus' have move too quickly for de world border restore ya humanity."

"Then how do we get back to normal?"

"Wait. De world take care of it in moments. But be warned: 'twill be very painful process." The two exchanged apprehensive expressions, swallowing loudly.

"Well that sounds just pleasant, don't it?" the lass drawled in caustic tones. Obviously she found the situation bleak.

"You wait here." Yeah, like they could go anywhere. "I will go prepare somet'ing for de pain." She returned inside, and it seemed that the slam of the door was the signal for the change to begin. The lass cried out in surprise as pain shot through her lower half, suddenly sinking beneath the surface when she could no longer keep herself vertical. James was busy biting his fist to keep from yelling out, but at one point, he hauled her back up to the air for fear she would end up drowning. They braced themselves back to back as their 'restoration transformation' continued.

Fins tore in two. Legs reshaped. And James was glad for the cover of the water when the change rendered him momentarily without garment. "Amy," he panted, voice shaking and cracking, "if you want to preserve any modesty at all, I suggest you stand lower in the water." Thankfully, clothing followed flesh, shroud and armor reappearing. And finally, everything stopped. He took her trembling form in his arms as they both struggled to regain their winds.

"Ow," the girl giggled giddily, shakily. James rubbed her back comfortingly. "Note to self: get back on the Gummi Ship _first_ and _then_ poof back home."

Tia returned after a few minutes, a knowing glint in her eyes through her otherwise placid features, and floated down the ladder, a wooden goblet cupped in her hands. The man opened his eyes, again emerald with the excitement, breathing ragged and irregular. "Here, drink 'dis." Neither moved—both knew that if they did, pain would shoot through their limbs. "You must, or de pain will remain wit' you for days." She offered the cup again. The young girl stared at it for a long time, mustering up her courage, then gingerly reached for it and gulped down some of its contents. She held it up to her nephew, who threw his head back and downed the remainder, regardless of the agonies his sudden action had caused.

Minutes—long, painfilled minutes—passed, and the girl dared to break their embrace. "It's going away," she said softly as she turned back to Tia Dalma. "Well of course it is!" she suddenly replied to herself. "Why wouldn't it?"

James chuckled tentatively and rustled her hair. "It is time we return to ya trainin'," Teacher announced. "Mista Norrington, we'll be needin' a bucket fill wit' clams, pair o' shears, and a squirrel. Can y'fetch 'dem?"

"And how, exactly, am I supposed to catch a squirrel?" he demanded incredulously.

"You are creative man, yes? T'ink up a way, and you will succeed." One of his hands went to the hilt of one of his swords. "And we'll be needin' it alive." He deflated with a roll of his eyes. "And soon is better den late, if ya please, Mista Norrington."

"I'm going, I'm going," he sighed, wading sorely off to fetch the rowboat.

"... What's the squirrel for?" the lass inquired curiously once he was out of earshot.

"Keep him busy an' out of de way. Now, le's return to ya studies." The mystic turned with an almost child-like grin and strode back inside. Ames blinked and followed.

* * *

Sorry about any typos. No time to edit, I'm afraid.

Please leave a review! Thanks!


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